Atomic Heart has been out for less than a day, yet fans have already produced a mod that lets you get right into the action, skipping the game’s long intro. Considering the length of that intro, this is probably the most useful mod available at the time of writing, despite it being designed for second and third playthroughs.
The mod is called Skip Intro – Pass Through Comrade and does exactly what it says. Atomic Heart has a long intro sequence that shows off the gorgeous world before plunging you into the chaos and letting you rip machines apart with an axe. It does a great job of world-building and should not be skipped on a first playthrough, but can be a chore on subsequent runs.
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This entire sequence is heavily scripted and takes roughly 40 minutes to slog through, even if you go directly from point A to point B. That’s why this mod is brilliant for experienced players who want to go through the game again with different builds or tackle all the side content. You can download it from the official Nexus Mods page, where you can also find a few other mods for the title.
Atomic Heart bears many similarities to BioShock, and this introduction is one of them. Without walking through the streets and seeing the robots in their friendly state, you don’t get an appreciation for just how advanced it’s become since World War II. It puts the innovations made possible by Polymer into perspective, which, in turn, makes the game’s endings far more impactful.
Related: How to find the station master’s combination lock code in Atomic Heart
Atomic Heart’s development, and its developer Mundfish, have been subject to a lot of controversy in the lead-up to the game’s launch. The game is set in an alternate timeline where the USSR has made a major scientific discovery that’s launched them forward as the most technologically advanced civilization on the planet. This discovery, Polymer, has allowed for the creation of dozens of useful domestic and combat robots, as well as organic life that could help with terraforming efforts on other worlds. All these advancements, both robotic and organic, become much less brilliant when they’re hostile, which is what you have to deal with when you play the game.
